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Explosive wildfire threatens California mountain towns as blaze intensifies Explosive wildfire threatens California mountain towns as blaze intensifies
(about 11 hours later)
A mountain town is standing by to evacuate on Saturday and residents across a huge swath of northern California have been warned of “explosive fire conditions” as a fierce wildfire across more than 100 square miles suddenly intensified. A mountain town was standing by to evacuate and residents across a huge swath of northern California were warned of “explosive” conditions as a fierce wildfire across more than 100 square miles intensified.
California governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for the counties experiencing the inferno, as it approaches the town of San Andreas, about 60 miles south-east of Sacramento in the Sierra Nevada region. The California governor, Jerry Brown, declared a state of emergency for the counties involved as fire approached the town of San Andreas, about 60 miles south-east of Sacramento in the Sierra Nevada region.
Some homes have been engulfed and thousands are threatened with imminent destruction in the path of flames that are spreading over steep landscape. Some homes were engulfed and thousands were threatened as flames spread quickly up steep terrain that made it extremely difficult for emergency services to hold them back.
The gradients help the fires grow by sending heat up slopes and increasing ground temperatures ahead of the flames while making it extremely difficult for the emergency services to tackle the blaze. A blaze that covered one square mile on Thursday quickly burned more than 100 square miles and was only 5% contained by Friday evening. By Saturday afternoon firefighters had gained some ground and containment had increased to about 10%, fire officials said.
A blaze that covered one square mile on Thursday quickly burned more than 100 square miles and was only 5% contained by Friday evening. By Saturday afternoon, firefighters had gained some ground and containment had increased to about 10%, fire officials said. Four firefighters were injured on Saturday, sustaining second-degree burns, officials said.
The gold rush town of San Andreas, with a population of 2,700, had been put under a mandatory evacuation order on Friday. But the fire then changed direction abruptly and people were told merely to prepare to evacuate at short notice. “If you see smoke or fire approaching your community, evacuate the area immediately,” Incident commander Phil Veneris of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, warned residents of gold rush town of San Andreas and the surrounding two counties.
On Saturday morning the town was once again on the brink of being ordered to empty out as the fire swells rapidly. The department warned the region to be prepared for “explosive fire conditions”.
“If you see smoke or fire approaching your community, evacuate the area immediately,” Incident commander Phil Veneris of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, warned residents of San Andreas and the surrounding two counties. The exact cause of the latest wildfire was yet to be established but conditions were extremely dangerous after a heatwave brought temperatures in the 90s, adding to the intense drought now in its fourth year in California.
The department has warned the region to be prepared for “explosive fire conditions”. San Andreas resident Fred Oshiro, 85, said that he, his wife and his sister-in-law had loaded up the car and gone in search of the local evacuation center. “We were going to stay in the house and watch the fire but the sheriff said you’d better take a hike,” he said.
The exact cause of the latest wildfire has yet to be established. But conditions are extremely dangerous as a recent heat wave bringing temperatures in the 90s has added to the intense drought now in its fourth year in California, turning the bone-dry countryside into a massive tinderbox.
“It’s expanding like a balloon. It’s moving very fast and is extremely dangerous,” said Nancy Longmore, California state fire spokeswoman.
More than 2,500 firefighters and 20 air tankers flying over the flames dumping retardant “from sunup to sundown” have barely contained the blaze in the roasting conditions and steep terrain, the department admitted.
In the region around San Andreas six homes had been destroyed by Friday night and more than 6,400 were threatened in the wildfire that broke out on Wednesday afternoon and has been dubbed the Butte fire.
Related: Northern California wildfire forces evacuation of wild cats from park
It started slowly and then spread rapidly, expanding in all directions but burning especially swiftly towards the south.
“We feel so small in a big ocean right now,” firefighter Matt Sisneros said of the expanse of leaping flames. Some firefighters are working 18-hour shifts to try to contain the blaze.
San Andreas resident Fred Oshiro, 85, said that he, his wife and his sister-in-law had loaded up the car gone in search of the local evacuation center.
“We were going to stay in the house and watch the fire but the sheriff said you’d better take a hike,” he said.
“If the house burns down we’ll lose a lot. There’s the three of us and some essentials,” he added.“If the house burns down we’ll lose a lot. There’s the three of us and some essentials,” he added.
Meanwhile, in central California between the city of Fresno and the Kings Canyon National Park, firefighters are digging trenches to try to stop wildfires reaching a growth of ancient giant sequoia trees in the Sierra Nevada, where the towering specimens are often found to be 3,000 years old. More than 2,500 firefighters and 20 air tankers were flying over the flames dumping retardant “from sunup to sundown”, the department said.
The explosive growth of what was dubbed the Valley fire forced authorities to order mandatory evacuations of a number of communities, including all of Hidden Valley Lake which has about 5,500 people, according to the Lake county sheriff’s office.
About 100 miles to the south-east the so-called Butte fire destroyed 86 homes and 51 outbuildings in rural Amador and Calaveras counties, where it covered an estimated 65,000 acres (26,305 hectares), officials said.
Thousands of residents in the area were required to evacuate on Friday and the blaze threatened more than 6,000 structures, officials said.
More than 3,800 firefighters were working to contain the fire, which erupted on Wednesday near the former gold mining town of Jackson.
Related: Northern California wildfire forces evacuation of wild cats from park
In central California between the city of Fresno and the Kings Canyon National Park, firefighters dug trenches to try to stop wildfires reaching a growth of ancient giant sequoia trees in the Sierra Nevada, some of which are 3,000 years old.
The Grant Grove of sequoias is named for the majestic General Grant tree in its midst, which is 268 feet tall. Lightning caused a fire more than a week ago that has now spread to an area of 40 square miles.The Grant Grove of sequoias is named for the majestic General Grant tree in its midst, which is 268 feet tall. Lightning caused a fire more than a week ago that has now spread to an area of 40 square miles.
And in the tiny village of Dunlap in the area, with just 130 residents, sheriff’s deputies have been going door to door handing out mandatory evacuation notices. In the tiny village of Dunlap in the area, with just 130 residents, sheriff’s deputies went door to door handing out mandatory evacuation notices.